


Reunion

by HysteriaLevi



Category: Batman: The Telltale Series (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, cobblebats - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-11 17:04:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13528710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HysteriaLevi/pseuds/HysteriaLevi
Summary: Takes place during Season 2, Episode 2. Bruce goes to meet John at the Stacked Deck, but is greeted by another, unexpected familiar face.





	Reunion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DelightfulSepsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DelightfulSepsis/gifts).



> This was requested by a friend of mine, so enjoy some Cobblebats fluff! :)

From Bruce’s POV

Pushing the bar’s doors open, I casually strolled in and searched for my friend, trying to hide the fact that I was still hurting from that fight with Bane as I limped around. He was definitely one of the tougher opponents I’d faced, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure how well Batman was going to fare against him in the future. I knew I told Alfred that I’d be fine, but reality disagreed -- and with good reason. Oh, well. That was a worry for another time. Right now, all I cared about was finding John, and getting a move on with this mission.

Taking a good look around the lazy bar, I found myself stumped when John was nowhere to be seen. Usually, the man was always so prompt and, most of the time, he actually arrived before me. For him to be late was...out of character. Or Maybe I was just early. I double-checked my phone in case he had sent me any texts.

Bruce: John, I’d like to take you up on your offer.

John: Excellent news! :D

Bruce: Can we meet?

John: Know just the place. The Stacked Deck.

Hmm, nothing new. It was possible he was being held up for some reason. I decided to find us a spot in the bar while I waited. Locking my phone again, I went to slip it back into my pocket when, suddenly, a new message popped up on the screen, stealing my attention.

John: Behind you, handsome.

Confused at how I could possibly miss that head of bright green hair, I whipped around in curiosity, only to spot a man relaxing in one of the back booths waving his phone at me. The stranger certainly wasn’t John, and I didn’t recognize him from a distance, but he was holding John’s phone. How did he get it? And who was he? Perhaps he was with the Agency. Was Waller seriously having people follow me around? I approached him to have a better look.

The closer I got however, the more familiar he started to become. The smug manner in which he grinned at me, his pair of stormy-blue eyes, the scruff lining his jaw, the shaved haircut...it all rang this bell that I just couldn’t quite pinpoint... 

Wait a minute.

Holy shit.

I stopped in my tracks, frozen like a deer in headlights as I practically bore my eyes into the man.

“...Oz?”

He took a sip from his beer bottle. 

“Sorry to disappoint you, mate,” Oz gave me a wink, “but John ain’t coming. I’ll be your host for this evening.”

Observing Oz for a moment, I noticed that he looked...slightly different from when I last saw him. There were no drastic changes, despite his nose being a little crooked and him wearing something other than the Penguin suit, but he still appeared somewhat older. Rougher. Like he hadn’t slept in a long time. I guessed his stay in prison hadn’t been the friendliest. I hesitantly took a seat across from him.

“...Where’s John?” I asked, growing concerned. “What did you do? How are you even here? I thought you were in jail.”

He rolled his eyes. “Relax, Bruce. John’s fine. All I did was swipe his phone. You and the clown have been appearin’ on the news together a lot lately. I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist an invitation from him. The two of you seem close.”

Turning John’s phone back on, Oz showed me the lock screen -- which happened to be the very distasteful, but somehow innocent selfie John took back at Lucius’ funeral. I gave him a sheepish smile.

Oz leaned forward. “As for being in jail, let’s just say I was never one to stay put. So keep your voice down. But c’mon -- you had to know Blackgate couldn’t lock me up forever...even if you did help Gordon throw me in there.”

I crossed my arms, glowering. “What else did you expect me to do? Allow you to continue terrorizing Gotham? I know we were friends once, Oz, but the things you did last year...”

The other man scoffed, narrowing his eyes. “Funny. No one seemed to give a damn when my parents were shot outta the picture -- and wrongfully so. But lay a single finger on the pretty boy, and suddenly, it’s a whole other thing, isn’t it?”

Oz took another swig. “But I didn’t come here to argue with you. Frankly, I’ve had enough of that. No, there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about. And, if you’re willing, I’d rather discuss it somewhere more private. Like outside.”

“You mean in the alleyway? Because I trust you enough to follow you into a secluded area.”

Oz almost seemed...hurt at that comment, and I suddenly felt a small grip of guilt holding onto me. He gazed downwards at his bottle that he was now cupping with both hands.

He let out a sigh. “Listen, Bruce. I...I know I didn’t treat you right, and to be honest, I’m surprised you haven’t walked out the door yet, but I’m hoping you’ll at least hear me out. I’ve had a lot to think ‘bout ever since being locked up in prison -- not all of it good -- and you happen to be the subject of most of ‘em.”

I decided to bite...for now. 

“Okay, Oz. I’m listening.”

He turned away from me, his nose crinkling out of annoyance. “...Dammit,” he muttered, “why couldn’t you just have said ‘no?’ All right, all right. Look, I’m not...exactly sure how to get this out in the open, so just bear with me.”

Taking a gentler approach, I sat patiently while Oz put his words together, somewhat incapacitated by the alcohol.

“Take your time,” I reassured. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Oz chuckled, shaking his head. “...and there you go again, being so bloody understanding and compassionate and...stuff.”

I quirked a brow. “That’s...a bad thing?”

“No!” He pounded a fist on the table, causing a few heads to turn at his outburst. “That’s the point! You’re just so damn...kind, and charming, and upstanding...even when people don’t deserve it. People like me. Hell, the way you arrested me was merciful. Most others would’ve just let the GCPD gun me down in that park, but you went through the trouble of obtaining me alive. You’ve shown me a...a love that I’ve not seen in decades...and I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Well, Oz certainly had a lot on his mind. Part of me was kind of glad that the beer was there to loosen him up. How hard would it have been to get this out of him sober?

“What do you mean you can’t stop thinking about it?” I asked. Oz calmed down a bit.

“...every night I spent in Blackgate, I’d just lie awake, wondering if I did the right thing. Wonderin’ if my dear, departed mum would be proud...or if she’d be horrified that her son’s turned into...” he gestured to himself in disgust, “...this.”

Oz let out a breath, gazing at me. “I also wondered what you and I could’ve possibly become if I didn’t follow Lady Arkham. If something...else...might’ve happened between us.”

I had to take a moment to process what Oz just said. Was he implying what I thought he was?

“Wait,” I held a hand up, “are you saying that you...have feelings for me?”

Oz blinked a few times, almost as if he was bringing himself back to reality.

“Shit, did I actually say that?” He blurted out. “Well, forget it. It don’t matter. Ain’t like you’ll ever return the affection anyways.”

I gave him an enticing smirk. “Oh, really? And how do you know that?”

He stumbled over his words for a second, unsure of how to react.

“W-well, I mean...why would you? In case you haven’t noticed, Bruce, I’m rotten like the rest of Gotham, and I don’t really have a pretty mug to hide behind anymore. Thanks to someone. Besides, you seem perfectly happy with that giggling jester of yours.”

I paused. “Hold on, you think John and I are together?”

“I know romance when I see it, Bruce. It may not be the lovey-dovey type of relationship you see in the films, but John’s got an eye for you. Or at least your face.”

“John’s already taken,” I corrected. “He has a girlfriend.”

Oz scoffed. “So? People cheat.”

“John wouldn’t cheat. Not on her. He loves her too much. And even if he did leave her for me,” I threw an alluring glance his way, “my attention’s on someone else.”

The other man beamed back at me with a flirtatious grin, clearly starting to catch on.

“Oh? I’d love to hear ‘bout them.”

“...Well,” I thought for a second, “he’s charming, handsome, and he has one of the most irresistible accents I’ve ever heard. I’ve known him for quite some time, actually. Ever since I was a little kid. He was the first true friend I had growing up...but we drifted apart after a while.”

Oz frowned in a nostalgic manner, picking up his beer bottle as he listened. “...And...? Did you miss him?”

I nodded. “More than he may think. I made other friends as I got older, sure, but none of them could ever replace him. He was always special to me...and I regret not telling him this sooner.”

Scooting closer to me, Oz attentively looked in my eyes, his brow furrowing. “And if you had one more chance to speak with him again, what would you say?”

Returning Oz’s gaze and taking a deep breath, I recalled all the things I wish I would’ve said to him ever since I was only ten, a flood of confessions pouring out of me from nowhere.

“I would say how sorry I am for what my father did to him and his parents. That I truly had no idea about my father’s crimes, and how much I wish I could’ve stopped him sooner...before he took my closest friend away from me. I would say how even though Gotham left him behind, I never forgot him once for over twenty years, and constantly wondered if he still remembered me -- or if he was even still alive.”

Oz’s head sank a little. “Is that all?”

“No. I would tell him that when I reunited with him in that park one year ago, I was concerned when I learned my best friend had become a terrorist, and for a moment, I was actually afraid of him.”

He retreated slightly, evidently reluctant to hear more. “And what about now? Are you still afraid of...‘him?” 

“I’m not afraid,” I denied, “but I am worried. I’m worried that our friendship is close to nonexistent now, and that he might never forgive me for what my father did to him. Or for what I’ve done. If things go well, maybe someday, he’ll prove me wrong. Until then though, I just hope we don’t have to be enemies anymore. What do you think? ...Would he agree?”

Oz was silent for a while, taking in everything I just told him. He pushed the beer bottle lightly, sliding it away from him.

“...I won’t lie. He’s still struggling to get over the murder of his parents, and truth be told, he might never fully recover. But if there’s a chance he and his friend can live like the kings they were born to be,” Oz smirked, bringing back that mischievous vibe that was all-too-familiar, “he would take it in a heartbeat.”

I smiled at him. “So...does this mean we can stop being at each other’s throats?”

“We can be even more than that, if you want. If you’re ready to move on from your clown boyfriend, that is.”

I rolled my eyes in a sarcastic manner, standing up. “You, sir, are ridiculous. C’mon. Let’s get out of here.”

Happily following me, Oz sprung up from his seat and walked beside me as we headed outside, ignoring all the curious glances we received from the other patrons, their stares nailed onto us whilst we took our leave.

~~~~~~~~~~

Stepping out of the bar, Oz and I were greeted with a light shower of rain -- cars driving by as their tires gently splashed random puddles, and sprayed the edge of the sidewalks. For a second, I simply stood there, breathing in the fresh, earthy air until Oz took hold of my hand, rubbing it affectionately. I looked at him.

“...Oz?”

He hesitated. “I, err -- I’m kinda new to this.”

I chuckled. “You? New? To romance? Really.”

“There’s a difference between thinking someone’s got a nice arse, and wanting a serious relationship with them,” Oz explained. “I know we’ve only just got back together, but...I want this, Bruce. I want this to work for real.”

I turned to face him, moving closer. “So do I. But there’s no need to rush into this, Oz. We can take it however fast or slow you’re comfortable with.”

Oz shot a puzzled look. “That’s the thing -- I dunno what’s considered fast or slow. Normally, I just sleep around and that’s it. No dates or courting or...whatever it is you do.”

I grabbed Oz’s other hand. “There’s no guideline you need to follow when you’re with someone. I know I may be a billionaire, but that doesn’t mean we have to fly in a helicopter for a date, or drink wine on a yacht. A date can be anything you want it to be.”

He playfully punched me in the arm. “Mate, you better damn well take me on a helicopter. So, when’s it picking us up?”

“Right after this.”

Barely giving Oz any time to react, I pulled his face towards mine and brought our lips together, leaving him frozen in place as the rain continued to sprinkle down on us and patter onto our clothes. For a moment, I could feel Oz staring at me out of shock, but eventually, the tension in his body slowly began to release, and before I knew it, he was melting into my embrace, eagerly returning the kiss.

Wrapping my arms completely around him, I let my hands wander all over Oz’s back and hugged him tighter, trapping the man in my grasp as his fingers traveled up to the back of my head, tangling with the hair. 

Out of nowhere though, I suddenly heard the shutter of a camera click. 

“Now, that is beautiful...hehe!”

Jolting my head to the side, I felt my jaw slightly drop when I suddenly noticed that John was standing right beside us, his phone now back in his hands as he let out a sniffle, wiping away nonexistent tears.

“It’s so heartwarming to see that love can still blossom in times like these.”

“Oh,” I awkwardly said, still holding Oz, “hi, John. Wh-when did you get there?”

The clown laughed. “Just now, actually. I was tracking down my phone, you see. Snatched it when your boyfriend here wasn’t looking. I didn’t know you had a significant other, Bruce. Why didn’t you tell me?”

I regained composure. “Oh, this? This happened just recently. Very recently.”

John snickered. “Maybe we can go on a...ah, what’s it called? A double-date? I hear those are really fun! I could talk Harley into it!”

“Yeah...maybe.”

“Great! Well,” he started to walk off, waving goodbye. “I’ll leave you two sweethearts alone. Let me know when you’re ready to meet my friends, Bruce. I’ll call Harley here right away.”

“Sure thing, John.”

Once the clown was completely out of sight, I turned back to Oz, giving him an apologetic smile.

“Heh, sorry about that. John can be a bit...eccentric.”

“No worries. You’ve got interesting friends.”

I placed another kiss on Oz’s forehead. “And an even more interesting partner.”

“So...we’re official then?” He clarified. 

I softly pushed Oz up against a nearby wall, putting an arm on both sides of his body as I locked him in, longingly staring into his eyes.. I leaned in for a second time, touching noses with him.

“You’re damn right we are.”


End file.
